Has the damage control begun? In recent months, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has found itself drowning in a sea of negative headlines about disastrous test screenings and what sounds like a series of extensive reshoots.
It isn't just online scuttlebutt either as the trades have shared details about what appears to be a very troubled comic book movie.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, director James Wan suggested it was an in-demand cast that led to at least three rounds of additional photography. "We have big actors in this movie, and everyone's schedule is really hard," he says. "So, we had to break up our shooting schedule into sections."
"We'll shoot a bit here now, because this actor's available, and then we'll do another shoot now, because this guy's available. People are like, 'Oh, they're doing a whole bunch of different shoots!' No. If we actually combined them all together, it's actually not that many number of days at all."
Explaining that he believes "additional photography is never a negative thing," Wan adds: "I find new things and I come up with new ideas. The Conjuring 2 was the perfect example of me putting the whole movie together and then — bing! — a lightbulb went off in my head and I go, 'I know what I need to do.' Same here as well."
This actually sounds somewhat promising and reshoots aren't always bad news. Yes, there are many movies that come to mind which were when cameras rolled a second, third, or fourth time, but others have been saved and actually greatly improved when the creative team went back to the drawing board.
Earlier this year, it was said DC Studios co-CEO had given Wan his input but the filmmaker insists the Aquaman sequel still delivers his vision for the King of Atlantis. "I've known James since way back, right?" he notes. "We're horror guys, and so I'm definitely open to ideas. But, at the end of the day, this is my movie."
The first trailer for the sequel will be released tomorrow and we're hoping that will offer a better idea about what we should expect from the final DCEU title.
In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force.
To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
The movie will be released in theaters worldwide on December 20.